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<title>Heart goes on/To fly by Speckleflower</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622165">Heart goes on/To fly</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Speckleflower/pseuds/Speckleflower'>Speckleflower</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Gen, description</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:26:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Speckleflower/pseuds/Speckleflower</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Here is the world.<br/>Beautiful and terrible things will happen.<br/>Do not be afraid."</p><p>-Frederick Buechner</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heart goes on/To fly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another description inevitably turned angst, hope y'all enjoy!<br/>~Speckle :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They rose majestically, the myriad of balloons, what were before mere wicker baskets, constructions woven from cut straw, framed in wood skeletons, blanketed in tough fabric, every stitch in line, now part of something bigger. They were sublime, hovering in the clear, cloudless sky, unmoving, serene. Bursts of colour- reds, blues, yellows, man-crafted rainbows like bubbles on the endless baby blue canvas of the sky, tinged with pink blush, like blossom in the Spring. From my vantage point on the edge of the cliff overlooking the rivets of the rolling valley I could see them stretching <em>forever</em>; on the nearest ones I could see the people standing inside, revelling in their joy- there was no dysphoria here despite what was imminent, the farthest were mere specks etched against the vast mountains in the distance. When I focused my gaze on one of them, I couldn't see them moving individually, but when I looked away for a few seconds, and back again, I could make out that they had moved fractions, mapping them against the stationary structures of rock in the distance.</p><p>A deliciously refreshing breeze tickled my face, sending wisps of my auburn hair curling around my face and rustling the swathes of grass on the clifftop surrounding me. One of the last breaths from the depths of the planet's core, coal-bright eyes' lava light slowly waning.</p><p>They called it 'The Final Flight'- a last attempt at unity in the face of the inevitable. I was perplexed as to how humanity had managed to create light out of this impending darkness. And this darkness was even more severe than any previous occurrence. Anything that had happened before was inferior. They had had no idea what was coming. And when they realised it was fast approaching, there was nothing that could be done. So mankind took to the skies for one last time, to view the beautiful world spread out before them, before it was gone, and they were gone.</p><p>Burners kept the balloons up as high as the vivid fire in the confluence of our hearts, as the kindling of humanity was about to go out, and now it burned brighter than ever in its denouement. When the sun went down they would stand out brightly like Chinese lanterns, but only for a few short turns of a clock's intricate gears, and then they too, would soon go out.</p><p>Soon, the canvas of life would be bleached black. Permanently black.</p><p>Lilac, peach and the beginnings of azure tinged the horizon as the last sunset that would grace the Earth touched the sky, overtaking the globe, caressing it, swiftly going, all too quickly. The shadow that swept swiftly over the valley far below evocated the coming eternal darkness, yet it conjured beautiful jumping shades of ocean and lapis, the rifts in the ground causing them to flicker like shimmering water.</p><p>How could the world be this beautiful if it was dying?</p><p>The star that lit up our universe answered me in its own way, throwing out its final effort in streaks of yellow and orange that recoloured the balloons in all hues of amber, and I turned my face up, a small smile playing across my lips, letting my hands play absentmindedly through the soft grass underneath me, laying back on the cool earth, savouring the gentle rays that warmed my eyelids, until they were gone, and then it was the end.</p><p>It was strangely calming.</p><p>But despite the taciturn silence, our heartsong continued to shine louder than ever.</p>
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